NEW YORK, 27 October 2003 — The Florida Marlins comeback kids did it again, blanking the New York Yankees 2-0 behind the stellar pitching of Josh Beckett to win the World Series by four games to two on Saturday.
The 23-year-old Beckett, pitching on three days’ rest, hurled a complete-game, five-hit shutout, striking out nine batters and walking two in Game Six.
Luis Castillo singled in the first run in the fifth inning and Juan Encarnacion hit a sacrifice fly to right field in the sixth for all the cushion Beckett would need.
Andy Pettitte, who had won three games for the Yankees in the postseason, took the loss despite a strong effort. He gave up two runs, one earned, in seven innings and struck out seven.
The Marlins, who won the National League crown as a wild card team and came from behind in every stage of the postseason, followed the same formula in the World Series, winning three games in a row after falling behind 2-1.
Beckett was named Most Valuable Player of the series.
“These guys are a wonderful bunch of guys,” Florida manager Jack McKeon told reporters.
“They worked hard all season. Nobody gave us a chance and now they’re world champions.”
Yankees manager Joe Torre tipped his cap to Beckett.
“Andy Pettitte pitched terrific tonight,” said Torre, who was hoping to steer the Yankees to their fifth World Series title in eight years. “Josh Beckett was that much better.”
The Marlins drew first blood with a run in the fifth as two-out singles by Alex Gonzalez and Juan Pierre set the stage for Castillo.
Castillo fell behind 0-2 and barely avoided striking out on a foul-tip. But he battled back to get the count to 2-2 and then singled sharply to right.
Karim Garcia charged the ball and made a strong throw home but Gonzalez swerved to his right to avoid catcher Jorge Posada’s sweeping tag and got his fingertips on the plate to snap the scoreless tie.
Pettitte then walked Ivan Rodriguez intentionally to load the bases before striking out Miguel Cabrera to end the threat.
Florida scored without the benefit of a hit in the sixth. Derek Jeter mishandled Jeff Conine’s grounder to short for an error to start the inning and Pettitte walked Mike Lowell on four pitches.
First baseman Derek Lee laid down a sacrifice bunt, the first of his career, with Pettitte throwing out Lowell at second. Encarnacion flied out deep enough to right to score Conine on a sacrifice fly that made it 2-0. Beckett made the runs stand up and ended the game himself as he gobbled up Posada’s dribbler down the first base line and tagged out the Yankee catcher to start a wild Marlins hug-fest on the diamond.
McKeon said he was not surprised by Beckett’s brilliance. “This guy is special,” said McKeon, 72, who became the oldest World Series manager.
“This guy has got the guts of a burglar. He’s mentally tough. And I knew he had the confidence to go out there and do the job he did tonight.”
The New York loss came on the 100th World Series game played at Yankee Stadium and made the Yankees the first team to lose the series on their home field since New York’s 1981 team fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees had few opportunities Saturday. Hideki Matsui flied out after Bernie Williams’ two-out double in the first. Williams grounded into a double play with men on first and second and one out in the third.
Jeter struck out with a man on second and two out in the fifth and Posada’s lead-off double in the seventh was wasted.
McKeon suggested the Yankees should not feel too bad about being blanked by his talented young pitcher. “You are looking at a possible All-Star next year and a 20-game winner. This guy is going to be something special.”
